by Heidi Thorsen
Luris: Memories of Dreams is a graphic novella by Rev. Rune Marie Nielsen following the journey of M—, a young adult whose memories are fragmented by post-traumatic stress disorder. The story moves between a number of vignettes: M—‘s spiritual birth in the realm before life; M—‘s fearful memories of the past; M—‘s dialogue with a snail. This dreamscape is alternately playful, wondrous, and horrific. Much like our own dreams, these vignettes make more sense at the end of the novella than they do in the present. Many of these images remain unresolved and unexplained, mementos for ongoing reflection.
One central image throughout the novella is a labyrinth, a maze with one pathway nestled in on itself, leading to a center. This labyrinth, drawn in the style of the 13th century labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral, is the beginning and end of M—’s journey, and they return to this image in between memories and dreams. “It seems you’ve stumbled upon a sacred place,” the novella begins, as M— stands at the entrance to the labyrinth. “How did you get here?” The rest of the novella seems to answer this question, as M—’s thoughts shuttle back and forth between the past and this place.
Walking a labyrinth is an ancient spiritual practice, dating back thousands of years (Williams, “Origins of the Labyrinth”). Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no divergent paths or dead ends. A labyrinth is a simple, though meandering path– inevitable in a way that makes space for pilgrims to process their thoughts on the journey. Nielsen’s use of the labyrinth in a story about post-traumatic healing is compelling. It suggests that healing is not a matter of choosing one pathway or another, but rather moving forward in faith. In fact, reading Luris is a bit like walking a labyrinth: you might not understand the images as they occur on page, but you move forward through each dream and memory, trusting the process until you arrive at the center along with M—.
While dedications are usually listed at the beginning of a book, Nielsen offers a dedication at the end: “to everyone who has experienced a traumatic situation. You are not alone.” Luris is a graphic novella for people who are still working through trauma, and a book for anyone who accompanies others on the journey of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is offered, like a labyrinth, as a device to move towards healing.
Rune Marie Nielsen is currently a member of Young Clergy Women International, and an editor and writer for Fidelia. Read more about Rune here.
Works Referenced:
Di Williams, “Origins of the Labyrinth,” University of Edinburgh: https://www.ed.ac.uk/labyrinth/historical/origins
